This head once belonged to a towering bodhisattva who presided over the entrance to the Central Cave at Northern Xiangtangshan. This extremely remote site consisted of only three cave temples, all of which housed colossal figural sculptures. Northern Xiangtangshan is strategically located on the route between Ye and Jinyang, in Shanxi province, and the scenic area is known to have served as a summer retreat. Before the construction of the caves at the beginning of the Northern Qi period, it also may have been a place for meditation or other Buddhist activities.
